#sharpflint

Paxie kicked a stray rock back into its place on the side of the road and pouted. Arms folded behind her back, she did her best to tune out whatever Sharpflint was on about. Why?

“—and Primus fragging heck, Paxie, you know that as your friend—no, respected elder and mentor—I do not want to find your corpse on the side of the highway because you refuse to learn that—”

Yes. That. Because he was lecturing her about how strongly he disagreed with her personal stance in the Natural Form movement. However, she was not truly annoyed at all. It was a peaceful afternoon and she’d managed to convince Sharpflint to ditch patrol to walk with her. 

I’m going to have some fun here--after all, I’m giving up my free day, the one day I don’t have classes!!

Suddenly, one of his words registered in her mind and she got an idea. 

Paxie tapped his arm. He came to a halt alongside her, breaking off abruptly to give her a scathing ‘WHAT.’ However he swallowed that, too when he saw her face.

“You got one thing right, salty engines,” Paxie started, feigning frustration.

Sharpflint narrowed his yellow optics—he absolutely detested that ridiculous nickname.

“Oh?” He muttered back, half annoyed. “Enlighten me.”

Paxie shook her head, heaving a dramatic sigh. “Well, you’re old. But you’re not my mentor—you’re too old to be my mentor. I’d need a spry, young, whippersnapper like myself! In fact—wait—”

She did a shushing motion and looked around. Sharpflint moaned quietly, rolling his eyes hard. He waited for her to continue roasting him.

“Yes…yes, I can hear it!”

He decided to play along, folding his arms as he towered over her. “Hear what, Paxie?”

“Listen!! I can hear the high concentration of salt in your attitude rusting your rotor blades!!”

Frag me, Primus why.

“I can hear it from a mile—”

Sharpflint picked her up, smirking as her words melted into surprised yelping. He hoisted her over his shoulder, gripping her legs as the rest of her body hung over his back, and eyed the tree a small ways ahead of them. His grin grew wider.

“Old, huh?”

“Yes!!” Paxie was laughing now, gasping for air.

“Well, then, I’ll just show you how us elderly were taught to run!”

“FLINT!!!”

He swung her in a circle before racing ahead to the tree, prompting more giggled cries. His eyes glinted while his shorter friend shouted, playfully indignant, and demanded to be put down.

“I’ll snap you in two, you robot stick!!”

“Try it, tiny!! You’d barely leave a scratch!”

“OH—” Paxie narrowed her optics and whacked his green plating, still laughing. “SO SAYS ‘MR. INSULTS ARE RUDE’!! WOW!!”

Sharpflint let out a laugh himself, reaching the tree. Sure I said that, but I never said I couldn’t joke around…

“Hey, what are y—WAHHAHHHHHNOONONO—”

The two mechs had made it to the tree, so Sharpflint naturally tossed Paxie just high enough for her to land in one of the branches. As he’d hoped, she latched on and balled up against the metallic surface, optics wide with shock.

Take that, you adorable little scrap. Sharpflint nodded to himself, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head back to take in the view. Paxie started giggling again, wailing down at him to help her off the branch .

“I’m only as old as the middle of the Great War!”

“You’re a salty, rusty sack of bolts!!”

Sharpflint sighed, turning away. “You and Mr. Tree can keep each other company until I come back here for patrol….” He pretended to think deeply, then calmly finished, “Four days from now.”

“Fine! You’re only as old as the youngest old bot from the war!!”

“Three days.”

“You’re a not-so-old dork!”

“Hmmm….” Sharpflint let the silence sink in, as if he were actually deeply considering her words. Paxie sighed audibly.

“You’re my favorite old dork--the best friend I could ask for!”

At this, Sharpflint turned and regarded her, beaming down at him. He unfolded his arms, chuckling lightly.

“I was going to let you down anyway, you know..” he said a little more quietly, feeling a little warm after her previous comment. The purple-white mech grinned back down at him.

“I know! I just wanted to say!”

Paxie was his closest friend, even if she was young, and didn’t know how bleak life could be—which was half the reason they ever got into fights in the first place anyway. Sometimes it’s hard to see eye-to-eye with someone who’s led a completely different life than your own. Both Sharpflint and Paxie were aware of that.

All that same, she was sunshine and openness.

Paxie was…simply put, a great friend.

Sharpflint cracked a small smile—not a smirk, but a real smile.

“You want to meet again at Silicon’s tonight?”

“Only if you’re paying!”

Sharpflint heaved another sigh, slumping over. Well, what else was to be expected? After all, the helicopter mech had thrown his friend into a tree. He couldn’t say no.

Well, no, he could, really should...but it would be rude—

“Oh, dear Primus,” he murmured under his breath, continuing to gaze up at Paxie, still hugging the tree branch for her dear life.

“Yay!! Silicon’s!!” Paxie cheered like a young sparkling, then cut herself off as her celebratory motions caused the branch to sway a bit too much. 

“Thank goodness for frequent paychecks…”

By the time Sharpflint raised his eyes to the trees towering over him, it was too late. That rustling sound he’d been hearing all afternoon while on patrol? 

“Woah-woOAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”

It smacked him right in the face with a resounding ‘CLANG!!’

Actually, she smacked him in the face. 

And knocked him to the ground. 

For a few moments, the two bots laid still in the dirt, trying to process what had just happened. Then, Sharpflint snapped to full consciousness. 

“Get off me,” he snarled, glaring at the figure on top of his. “I’ll throw your tiny body across this clearing, punk.”  

“Oh sure you will. Make me,” came the confident, snarky response. The white-purple femme shut her eyes and went limp, pretending to start snoring. The corners of her lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. 

Sharpflint was not very amused. 

“Alright then.” 

The red and green mech hefted himself upright, and with startling ease, picked up and tossed his mystery assailant across the small, grassy clearing. Her optics widened the instant he touched her, but she slammed into a tree and slid to the ground before she had a chance to yelp in surprise. 

He smirked slightly, rising to his feet and stalking towards the now-unconscious femme. She made no sound, slumped over against the tree but still breathing. Sharpflint instantly felt just a little guilty. 

That was rough and mean. Maybe a little too mean. He rubbed the side of his face frustratedly. 

You idiot. You don’t throw people. Oh Primus, Ratchet won’t be happy about this, that’s for sure. 

He huffed a long sigh and opened his comm.

“Hey, doc. It’s ‘Flint. Paxie left the premises. Are you aware of this fact?”

A groan from the other end gave him his answer. 

“Again? But I told her she--”

“Well, enough of that. Somehow she followed me to Athenia and now she’s unconscious. Help, I guess?”

“....what did you do to her?”

Oh, Ratchet. The old bot really does know everything, doesn’t he? 

Sharpflint fought the urge to chuckle in surprise and instead cleared his throat, touching the back of his helm a little awkwardly. 

“I--well, she fell out of a tree and....no, you know what? I get it. I was too rough. Sorry. I’m sending coordinates so you can bridge her back,” He paused, seeing her twitch slightly. “Hurry, doc-bot. She’s not staying for long.”

“Sharpflint,” Ratchet said, his tone seeming to weigh more than one single word. There was a long silence. Then, he simply sighed again. “Never mind, you know what I’m going to say, don’t you?.”

“You’re a good bot, Ratchet. I’ll tell her when she wakes up.” 

“W...when who...aHK--” Paxie winced, slouching over and gripping her midsection. “Pain pain pain pain pain pain owww....” She murmured in a tiny voice, squeezing her optics shut and rocking back and forth. 

Sharpflint raised an eyebrow, then hung up on Ratchet. As he stepped closer to her to help her up, a groundbridge portal tore into the air next to them. Paxie cracked open her eyes a little as the pain subsided, eyeing first the bridge, then the red-green mech, currently holding out his servo. She pouted, gritting her teeth and pushing off the ground by herself.

“Jerk.” 

“Hey, you know, that was pretty reckless!!” He snapped. Paxie rolled her eyes and pretended to ignore him. 

“You know--” He fumbled for the right words. “You’re lucky the war’s over and this patrol was just an innocent outing!” He blurted a little clumsily, quickly starting to feel slightly annoyed again. Paxie suppressed her urge to laugh out loud for the sake of her old and new injuries. 

“And what the scrap does that have to do with anything, you jerk? Why’d you throw me against a fragging tree?!” 

“I’m just SAYING--” the mech bit his tongue and cut himself off, sighing. Too loud, too angry, definitely too rude a tone to be using with her. He chided himself internally for being so rough and for...being a jerk. “Look, you hurt yourself falling off the top of a ladder you weren’t supposed to be climbing in that library! I’ve seen bots lose their lives going for a refuel.”

“Which is terrible and I’m sorry. But why are you bringing this up, Flint?” She narrowed her eyes, letting her arms fall to the side. 

“Because if you had followed me out here during the War, you’d have been at risk of dying.”

Paxie went quiet. Not because she felt guilty or that she understood. But something about the calm finality of his words made her insides shift around. Relenting, the white-purple femme sighed and started into the bridge. 

“I’ll stay with Ratchet,” she mumbled. “Sorry.”

Sharpflint felt a brief pang of guilt. 

“Hey, Paxie?” 

She turned, looking a little subdued. “I know it was stupid, I’m sorr--”

“No, don’t apologize. I was a jerk. I’m sorry.”  

Paxie folded her arms. “And?”

“And...I need to get my head out of the past. The war’s over. I shouldn’t be so aggressive.” She nodded at his words and straightened, heading into the bridge. In turn, the red and green-plated bot swiveled and headed back to his patrol post--

“Silicon’s.” 

Sharpflint jolted at the sound of her voice. What? What does she want now? 

Paxie scampered back to the edge of the glowing green portal, a mischevious twinkle in her eyes, grinning. 

“Silicon’s. Tonight at moonrise. You’re paying!” 

Sharpflint whipped around and opened his mouth to make a retort at her and assert that he was not--

And then the bridge came to a close with a sharp whooshing noise.   

“For frag’s sake, Paxie,” he raised his wrist and pulled up his balance. 

You’re lucky I got my paycheck last week.

But while he stared at the sky, the inklings of a smile played at his lips. 

Sharpflint, you big, dumb, dork.